IKEA Will Add Meat-Free Meatballs to Its Menu

In an attempt to go green, the Swedish furniture company plans to serve a vegetarian version of its Swedish meatballs.

IKEA recently announced that it will add meat-free meatballs to its animal-intensive menu as a way to go green. The furniture company has long endeared itself to American consumers, not only for its minimalist assemble-yourself designs, but also its Swedish-style food served at its in-store bistro, but now it’s looking to scale back its environmental impact. “We are looking at all our food products from a sustainability perspective but specifically meatballs,” says Joanna Yarrow, sustainability chief for IKEA's UK locations. “They are very popular and they are also our most carbon-intensive food item on our menu.” According to The Telegraph, in 2013, IKEA’s food production generated more than 1,300,000 pounds of carbon emissions, which is the rough equivalent of the annual greenhouse gas emission of 3 million cars. Much of the environmental devastation can be attributed to the livestock agriculture that is responsible for unprecedented levels of methane each year.